Benny Safdie directs Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader in this true story from the early days of the UFC.

Three super strong lead performances. The Rock has never pushed himself like this. His portrayal of Mark Kerr is complex and unvarnished. Blunt is stellar as always. There is a little hidden tell about their mutually toxic relationship. She only ever wears monotone, he thinks she loves colours. Two people living a lie about each other. But the actual surprise is non-actor Ryan Bader. A former MMA star who you root for as everything falls apart with his friend. Safdie makes a Cassavetes / Leigh “actor’s movie” with a A-List stars and first timers. We watched this at an open air cinema in Greece and the weather took a swerve towards Baltic just as the first act started ramping up. So this viewing was a bit of a shivering grind personally and still it shone.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Beyond The Mat (1999)

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